Household linen item

ABSTRACT

The anti-balloon household linen item provides an adjustable, impermeable and transpirable surface together with one or more fabric patches that allow the air to easily go out, therefore ensuring a comfortable surface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Spanish Utility Model No. ES200930800 U, filed Dec. 24, 2009, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of household linen ordomestic use elements, and, more particularly, to covers such aspillowcases or cushion covers.

The present invention is a household linen item especially adapted to bebreathable and to permit the egress or outlet of air existing in theinside thereof, featuring an anti-ballooning effect present at severalhousehold linen items, such as pillows cases.

BACKGROUND

Household linen items, namely drygoods for household use that aretypically made of white cloth, are widely used and include, among othersthings, covers for different types of pillows, cushions, etc. Pillowsand/or cushions are generally constituted by an inner filling of loosematerial, such as wool, down, cotton fuzz, or the like, and an externalcover of thin fabric, which wraps the loose material and gives shape tothe pillow. The pillows and/or cushions are generally complemented by anexternal case, which provides an aesthetic exterior appearance andestablishes a protective barrier against dirt received by the pillow. Toclean the pillow, one only has to remove the external case and wash it.

These external cases, which are typically used for pillows, are made ofsmooth fabrics with which one can achieve a good aesthetic quality.Nevertheless, these cases are completely inadequate and ineffective withregard to absorption, which makes the user's perspiration, facialmake-up, or drool rings easily pass through to the structural body ofthe pillow, producing an anti-hygienic accumulation of dirt, filth,and/or bad odors.

Furthermore, existing pillow cases currently on the market feature thedrawback of being completely closed, which creates a “balloon effect.”This causes the air to remain trapped inside the pillow, without thepossibility of exiting, due to a closure mechanism which prevents theair from evacuating to the exterior. The pillow swells and is lesscomfortable and pleasant for the user when resting their head on thepillow.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide household linen items thatovercome these and other deficiencies of the prior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention resolves the previously mentioned drawbacks byproviding a household linen item, such as a cushion or pillow cover,which provides, on the one hand, protection against dampness, dirtiness,and bad odors, and, on the other, prevention of the cover from fillingup with air and creating a “balloon effect” such that the suitable shapeand configuration thereof is riot lost, thus providing the user withmaximum comfort and making, in the case of a pillowslip, their sleepingtime more pleasant.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, thehousehold linen item comprises an outer layer and an inner impermeablesheet adhered to the outer layer, which offers protection againstdampness, both forming an open sack, the interior whereof being intendedfor the insertion of a pillow or any similar element, like a cushion,therein.

In some embodiments, the household linen item features a breathableclosure mechanism at at least one of the ends thereof, the closuremechanism being adapted to permit the exit of air present in theinterior of the pillow, thus preventing the “balloon effect” or swellingof the pillow.

Preferably, the breathable closure mechanism is formed by a permeableand breathable fabric and has a zipper on the peripheral edge thereof.

Therefore, in accordance with the pillow case embodiment of the presentinvention, stains or dirtiness created on a pillow, brought about byvarious causes: sweat, facial make-up, drool rings, etc., are prevented,and the exit of air present inside the pillow is also made possible, sothat the pillow perfectly adapts to the special configuration andcurvature of the head and neck of the user, providing them with greatercomfort, relaxation, and convenience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, features, and advantages of the present invention canbe more fully appreciated with reference to the following detaileddescription of the invention when considered in connection with thefollowing drawing, in which like reference numerals identify likeelements:

FIG. 1 shows a general perspective view of the household linen item,depicted as a pillow case, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, as shownin FIG. 1, the household linen item of the present invention comprises atextile defined by an outer layer (1) and an inner layer (3) joinedtogether delivering a multilayer textile which defines the shape of asack, the interior whereof being intended for the insertion of a pillow(2) therein, and which additionally features an inner, impermeable,inner layer (3), adhered to the outer layer (1) and adapted to protectthe pillow (2) against dampness, dirtiness and bad odors.

As can be observed in FIG. 1, the household linen item, in thisembodiment depicted as a pillow case, features a closure mechanism (4)(e.g., a zipper, velcro, one or more buttons, and/or one or morefasteners) at at least one of the ends thereof, formed by a breathablelayer (5), the peripheral edge whereof having a zipper (6), where thebreathable layer (5) is adapted to permit the exit of air present in theinterior of the pillow (2).

It should be noted that, although FIG. 1 depicts the household linenitem as a pillow case, this is merely illustrative. The household linenitem can be in the form of, for example, a cushion case, a featherbedcase, and/or a duvet case.

Accordingly, household linen items are provided.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in theforegoing illustrative embodiments, it is understood that the presentdisclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerouschanges in the details of implementation of the invention can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which isonly limited by the claims which follow. Features of the disclosedembodiments can be combined and rearranged in various ways.

1. A household linen item comprising: at least one textile having an outer layer made of a non-impervious fabric and an inner layer made of an impervious fabric that are joined together with at least one opening; at least one breathable layer made of a breathable fabric, wherein said breathable layer is respectively joined along an edge of the at least one opening adapted to allow airflow; and a closure mechanism arranged along at least one free edge of the at least one breathable layer adapted to close the at least one opening.
 2. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the non-impervious fabric is selected from the group consisting of: knitted material, woven material, and non-woven material.
 3. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the impervious fabric is made of material selected from the group consisting of: polyurethane, rubber material, and plastic material.
 4. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the closure means is selected from at least one of the group consisting of: zipper, velcro, buttons, and fasteners.
 5. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the household linen item is a pillowcase.
 6. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the household linen item is a cushion case.
 7. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the household linen item is a featherbed case.
 8. The household linen item according to claim 1, wherein the household linen item is a duvet case. 